Australian clergy curse Ramsay's profanity

World news

If Gordon Ramsay is coming to Paris, it's just to see what these 'f*cking Frenchies' think of his 'f*cking cuisine'

Wednesday, May 07, 2008

The Most Rev Philip Wilson, Archbishop of Adelaide, has declared that he lives his life by a simple and humble motto adapted from Psalm 115.1 – Non nobis domine or "not to us, oh Lord, not to us".

This week, the leading Catholic clergyman was involved in special pleading of a more secular kind when his church invoked the might of the Australian Senate to step in to spare Australia the four-letter tirades of celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay.

The Diocese of Adelaide, which has presided over matters spiritual across a vast swathe of South Australia since 1887, entered its submission to the parliamentary inquiry into swearing on television, which was prompted in no small part by the antics of the fiery Brit. The move has surprised many outsiders, not least because of the country's well-known reputation for the liberal use of profanities and robust confrontational behaviour.

Recent episodes of Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares and Hell's Kitchen have already proved too much for some Australian senators, schools and parent groups.

One programme broadcast recently featured the Scottish-born chef using one four-letter expletive more than 80 times, while he was also shown lambasting a chef, describing him as: "You French pig." The incident prompted about 80 complaints to the network.

According to the Diocese of Adelaide's submission, this kind of cultural import from the old country was most unwelcome. "There can be no excuse for vilification of this sort. We conclude that this episode should never have been aired on Australian television," it said.

The church is now urging broadcasters to either cancel the show or move it to a slot later than the current 8.30pm prime time scheduling it enjoys. Given the high ratings, the request is likely to encounter stiff resistance. Ordinary Australians have taken to Ramsay's unique brand of man management, earning top ratings for Channel 9.

A spokeswoman for Ramsay said he was unlikely to change the formula of his hit shows or tone down his behaviour in light of the new criticism.

But not everyone is gunning for his blood. New South Wales Council for Civil Liberties leapt to his defence with a submission pointing out: "This inquiry is yet another attempt to restrict the freedom of expression of ordinary Australians. Not everyone is offended by coarse language."

The lively row only serves to underline the prescience of The Independent's feature writer John Walsh, who would seem to have seen it coming. On 1 April, Walsh "revealed" that Ramsay was planning a ban on swearing following the rejection of an application to open a new restaurant in Sydney. The spoof report claimed the chef had employed CCTV in his restaurants to pick up "sotto voce cursing". It may happen yet.

Hostile receptions

Australia: "I am a viewer and I have quite enjoyed the show but with the dropping of the C bomb and F-words I believe we are reaching the absolute limits of acceptability," Liberal Senator Cory Bernardi.

America: "For all his brimstone and bravado, his strategy for taking Manhattan [is] a conventional one, built on familiar French ideas and techniques," New York Times restaurant critic Frank Bruni.

France: "If Gordon Ramsay is coming to Paris, it's just to see what these 'f*cking Frenchies' think of his 'f*cking cuisine' " Le Figaro restaurant critic François Simon.